Method for making a negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor
| Title: | Method for making a negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor |
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| Patent Number: | 7,767,384 |
| Publication Date: | August 03, 2010 |
| Appl. No: | 11/917800 |
| Application Filed: | November 24, 2005 |
| Abstract: | A method for making a heat-sensitive negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor including the steps of providing a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, and applying onto the support a coating solution including an infrared absorbing agent, hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles, a hydrophilic binder, and a polymer including siloxane and/or perfluoroalkyl monomeric units. |
| Inventors: | Vermeersch, Joan (Deinze, BE); Van Damme, Marc (Bonheiden, BE) |
| Assignees: | Agfa Graphics NV (Mortsel, BE) |
| Claim: | 1. A method for making a heat-sensitive negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor comprising the steps of: providing a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer; and applying onto the support a coating including an infrared absorbing agent, hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles, a hydrophilic binder, and a polymer having siloxane and/or perfluoroalkyl monomeric units; wherein the polymer is a block-copolymer or graft-copolymer including a poly- or oligo(alkylene oxide) block and a block including siloxane and/or perfluoroalkyl monomeric units. |
| Claim: | 2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the polymer in the coating is between 0.5 mg/m 2 and 60 mg/m 2 . |
| Claim: | 3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles have an average particle size in the range from 15 nm to 150 nm. |
| Claim: | 4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of the hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles in the coating is at least 70% by weight. |
| Claim: | 5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles include at least 0.1% of nitrogen. |
| Claim: | 6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating further includes spacer particles having an average particle size between one to two times the thickness of the coating. |
| Claim: | 7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the amount of spacer particles in the coating is between 8 mg/m 2 and 200 mg/m 2 . |
| Claim: | 8. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the spacer particles include organic particles selected from the group consisting of polymethylmethacrylate, polyolefins, halogenated polyolefins, cross-linked polysiloxanes, or copolymers thereof. |
| Claim: | 9. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the spacer particles include inorganic particles selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, zirconium containing particles, aluminiumsilicates, and metal salts. |
| Claim: | 10. A method for making a negative-working lithographic printing plate comprising the following steps: providing a printing plate precursor obtained by the method according to claim 1 ; exposing the precursor with infrared light thereby inducing coalescence of the thermoplastic polymer particles at exposed areas of the coating; and processing the exposed precursor with an aqueous solution. |
| Claim: | 11. A method for making a negative-working lithographic printing plate comprising the following steps: providing a printing plate precursor obtained by the method according to claim 1 ; exposing the precursor with infrared light thereby inducing coalescence of the thermoplastic polymer particles at exposed areas of the coating; and mounting the precursor on a printing press and developing it by supplying ink and/or fountain solution to the precursor. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 430/302 |
| Patent References Cited: | 5948591 September 1999 Vermeersch et al. 6737220 May 2004 Mori 2003/0113666 June 2003 Endo 2005/0037287 February 2005 Verschueren et al. 0 832 739 April 1989 0 514 145 November 1992 0 599 510 June 1994 0 849 090 June 1998 0 950 517 October 1999 1 243 413 September 2002 1 428 676 June 2004 1 462 252 September 2004 |
| Other References: | Official communication issued in the International Application No. PCT/EP2005/056194, mailed on Mar. 2, 2006. cited by other |
| Assistant Examiner: | Robinson, Chanceity N |
| Primary Examiner: | Kelly, Cynthia H |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Keating & Bennett, LLP |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.07767384 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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